ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Whakapapa

Whakapapa is a special word that comes from the Māori people of New Zealand. It means "genealogy" or "family tree". Imagine if you drew a big tree with lots of branches and leaves, and every branch and leaf represented someone in your family. That would be like your whakapapa!

The idea behind whakapapa is that everyone comes from somewhere, and they have a history and a story. By knowing your whakapapa, you can learn about your ancestry and the people who came before you in your family. It's like a really cool puzzle that you get to figure out.

But whakapapa is not just about knowing who your relatives are. It's also about understanding the connections and relationships between people, and how they are all part of a bigger picture. Each person in your whakapapa has their own story to tell, and by piecing them together you can learn more about your family and where you come from.

Māori people take whakapapa very seriously, because it is tied to their cultural identity and traditions. They often have special ceremonies and rituals to acknowledge and honor their whakapapa. And in some cases, they use it to establish boundaries and relationships between different iwi (tribes)

So, in simpler terms, Whakapapa is like a family tree that helps you learn about your ancestors and the history of your family. It's an important part of Māori culture that helps people understand who they are and where they come from.